ANDERSON, Ind. – Tyler Roahrig worked his way through the field to capture the sixth running of the Tony Elliott Classic at Anderson Speedway on Saturday night.
It was Roahrig’s third victory in the Elliott Classic on Paint the Night Pink night sponsored by The Herald Bulletin and CB Fabricating.
Roahrig turned a lap Saturday during qualifications at 10.9-seconds threatening the 10-year old record for sprint cars. With the inversion he started eighth which put Kyle O’Gara and Caleb Armstrong on the front row.
O’Gara grabbed the lead at the start pursued by Armstrong and Bobby Santos III. The first caution flag waved on lap 21 when Tony Main spun in turn two with Roahrig advancing to the fifth spot in the running order.
With Armstrong, Santos, Jerry Coons Jr. and Roahrig battling for the second spot it allowed O’Gara to pull away from the field. On lap 63 both Santos and Roahrig got around Armstrong and rapidly closed on O’Gara, who had used up his right rear tire.
Santos spun on lap 80 while trying to pass O’Gara in the third corner and was relegated to the rear of the field.
Roahrig took the point on lap 88 with an outside pass of O’Gara on the back straight.
Santos would spin again on lap 98 but mounted a charge over the final 23 laps to finish third behind Roahrig and O’Gara.
“The team gave me a really great car tonight,” Roahrig said in the Riley & Son Victory Lane. “I’m not sure I could have passed Bobby (Santos) if he got out front. I wasn’t sure we could get to the lead after starting back in the pack.”
O’Gara said since he was leading sprint cars at Anderson for the first time he wasn’t sure how to pace the field.
“I used up the right rear,” he said. “We’re getting closer on the set-up at Anderson Speedway.”
Santos said his attempted pass for the lead didn’t work out as planned and the second spin took out any chance for a win.
“We had a really good car for the race,” he said. “It was tough to pass because there were some really good teams here.”
The finish:
1) Tyler Roahrig; 2) Kyle O’Gara; 3) Bobby Santos III; 4) Emerson Axsom; 5) Caleb Armstrong; 6) Brian Gerster; 7) Billy Wease; 8) Travis Welpott; 9) Jerry Coons Jr.; 10) Kyle Robbins; 11) Dakoda Armstrong; 12) Chris Jagger; 13) Tony Main; 14) Justin Harper; 15) Aaron Pierce; 16) Tom Paterson